Happy For Me
by laurzz
Summary: DannyLindsay. Set after 2x22 Stealing Home. “I’m ok.” She nodded: “better now. Listen; I don’t know how you knew but thanks for coming to save me from myself tonight.” She said softly. “I guess I really needed you here.”
1. 1

**A/N: I feel like I've turned uploading a new story on a Saturday into a little bit of a routine: maybe it goes back to posting the post eps after the Friday night episode on the Saturday morning. A habit I just can't break?! Who knows! Anyway; I got to the end of my rewatch and sobbed my little heart out... so naturally I went straight back to season 2 as I'm not ready to let it all go yet. **

**I think I started this after my first rewatch of stealing home (one of my many absolute favourite episodes) but it just didn't feel right or finished. Leaving it and returning to it with a fresh head was what was needed as whilst it's turned into something entirely different to the original story, I'm so much happier with it! **

**Thank you to everyone who has been reading, favouriting and sending love about the other stories I have posted. All your thoughts are always so welcomed and appreciated so thank you for that!! Hope you enjoy this one! **

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_It's funny how we both want the same things but still we just can't seem to agree. It's not that I don't get what you're saying, I just wish you could be happy for me_

_-Happy for Me - James TW_

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_Set after the episode 2x22, Stealing Home _

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"Alright Mom, I gotta go I'm heading down into the subway and I won't have any service."

"Alright honey, be safe. I'm proud of you."

Lindsay smiled as she heard the usual words her mom used to end their conversation. "I will. Love you." She paused. "Tell Daddy I love him."

"I will."

Her heart ached as she heard the click of the line die. She'd spoken to her mom just like Sarah Butler had. And just like Sarah Butler, Lindsay Monroe _still_ hadn't spoken to her dad.

Tha parallels between her life and Sarah's has scared her. Unnerved her: she saw too much of herself in Sarah. The rawhide braiding scars. The strained relationship with her dad. She'd listened to those same words _you walk out that door, there's no coming home._ She knew he didn't mean it. _She hoped he didn't mean it._ She knew he didn't like her doing what she did. He'd been incredibly vocal about it. He didn't like the things she saw. She knew he wanted to desperately protect her but he couldn't. By the age of sixteen she'd seen the worst she ever would. Nothing would ever top what she saw that night. _Nothing_. _Ever_.

_Lucy_. Her heart twisted painfully as she thought about her. God she missed her. She was her best friend... the one she treasured. She was the closest thing she'd ever had to a sister and was completely irreplaceable.

It was days like today, nights like this, where she really, _really_ missed her.

She had to imagine what their lives would be like. Would they have all gone to the same school like they so desperately wanted to? Would Lucy have moved away from Montana? Would they be as close now as they were back then or would they be even closer? She had so many questions and not so many answers.

Life, she decided, was a load of crap. Why did she have to survive? Why did she have to wash her hands? Why hadn't one of them come too? Lucy always went with her to the restroom. What made that time different? Why hadn't they gone home earlier? Why hadn't they gone somewhere else? Why hadn't they stayed home that night?

She was going to drive herself insane...

And now this case... She was absolutely exhausted but just knew as soon as her head hit the pillow, sleep wouldn't come. It was always the same story. Every time she'd close her eyes, she'd see his villainous face and she'd just be as angry as she was in the light of day.

She took a deep breath in and let it out again as she tried to get a control of her emotions. Going to see James Vackner hadn't exactly worked out for her as she had wanted it to. She hadn't really known what to expect, but she had gone looking for answers. She knew she was probably stepping over the line that was engraved into her line of work, but at this point she was past caring. She needed answers. Answers that she still didn't have.

She pulled her phone from her pocket and sighed at the sight of the unread text message. She'd received it a while ago but had ignored it… until now.

_I wish you'd answer your phone, Montana. Call me. I wanna make sure you're okay. I know you don't wanna get into it but i'm a little worried. I'm getting off in an hour. Let me know if you want me to come see you. D_

Lindsay sighed heavily as she ran her fingers through her perfectly crafted curls as she pocketed her phone with her spare hand. Or at least they had been perfect when she had left for work nearly two days ago. Now they were more on the messy side… and not the cute kind of messy.

She liked Danny outwardly showing concern for her; but it wasn't what she needed right now. James Vackner had effectively riled her to the point of no return. She was furious, and was feeling a desperate need to see retribution; more so than what she knew was healthy. She wanted him thrown into a prison cell with angry black bears and for the prison guard to lose the key. She hated few people but James Vackner presented her with someone she'd never been able to face. She'd never had the opportunity to question her own James Vackner. She hadn't been able to ask him why – why her, why them? How much money had he gotten form the cash register that night? What were the lives, the lives that meant so much to her, worth? She didn't understand why he'd done it – both James Vackner and her own personal monster. How could they do it?

And the worst thing was she couldn't bring herself to tell a soul. So this storm she was fighting? She was fighting it solo. She wanted nothing more to tell Danny but there was just something stopping her. She couldn't envision him walking away… but she couldn't see herself unloading such a heavy amount of baggage onto someone that she still didn't know properly. Yes, she really, genuinely liked him – but it didn't take away from the fact she hadn't known him for a whole year yet. So with that in mind, the one person she would actually consider telling… she couldn't; simply because her stubborn self wouldn't let her.

She stood, ready to leave the subway at her stop. She pulled her phone out of her pocket again and slid her finger across the bottom of her screen, which automatically brought up Danny's message again. She read his concerned words again and felt the tears rising in her eyes. She didn't mind crying but not here. She stepped off the subway and quickly headed through the deserted subway station as she made her way up to the street. She knew that she could get to her apartment in six minutes if she walked quickly and she thought that maybe, just maybe, she'd be able to keep it in until then. When she got home however, she couldn't promise anything.

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Checking his phone for what seemed like the hundredth time, Danny sighed heavily, she was seriously a pain in his ass sometimes. He was pretty worried about her; especially after talking to Mac and hearing from him that she had still been struggling about the case. He hoped she wasn't too angry about him telling Mac that she had struggled. He hadn't done it out of spite; he'd done it because he was genuinely concerned about her and thought that while he and she were close, Montana and Mac were possibly closer. Mac had this way with Lindsay; it was a father-daughter kind of relationship and Danny couldn't put his finger on it, but what he did know was that Lindsay had quickly secured a permanent place in Mac's heart. Danny had never seen anyone click with Mac like Lindsay had. It was one of the reasons Danny had quickly realised just how special Lindsay was. Mac Taylor did not suffer fools: except for maybe Danny Messer himself, but that was a different story for a different day.

He licked his lips and slammed the case-file shut as switched off his monitor. He was done checking his phone. He stood from his desk and grabbed his jacket which was hanging on the back of the chair. He grabbed his keys from the desk before shoving his jacket on and heading to the exit. His shift ended ten minutes ago and Lindsay didn't have a choice whether he went round to her place anymore… he was going with his niggling instincts.

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As it turned out, Lindsay had made it home with a second to spare before she broke down and lost it. She'd slammed the door shut and had proceeded to slide down it, erupting in a bout of sobs that had shaken her entire body. She hadn't cried so hard for a long time. After the last couple of days she just felt like she was absolutely helpless. She was sixteen years old again; going back to school on her own. She felt like she was that little girl again… she shook her head to try and rid herself from the memories but she'd dipped into Sarah Butler's life and had seen similarities in her own. Why her? Why Sarah? Why anyone?

She'd eventually stopped the tears and she had headed into the kitchen to make herself a drink and something to eat, even though she wasn't all that hungry. She'd forced down an apple and some blueberries before deciding that she'd had enough. She'd kicked off her shoes and switched the television on, wanting some background noise to stop herself from over-thinking things. Flicking through the channels, she sped past the procedural crime dramas; wanting something a little less close to home and a little more effective in numbing her mind for a while. She'd paused to take a drink and it just so happened that her clicking of the remote had landed on a local news channel; covering a story on the exact thing she was trying to escape from… James Vackner.

Any composure that she had gathered was soon lost and she launched the remote control away from her in a rage. She then threw her water bottle to the floor in fury and kicked the table in front of her.

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Pursing his lips together, Danny fought the feeling of guilt as he typed in the combination to gain access into Lindsay's building. He felt bad for betraying her trust in just letting himself in, but he just had a bad feeling – he could sense that she needed someone... if he let himself be bold, he could convince himself that maybe the person she needed was him.

He took the stairs two at a time and despite the tiredness already settling in from the last few days; he could feel adrenaline pumping through his body as he quickly made it to the third floor. He pushed through the stairwell doorway and instantly felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. From the hallway, he could hear crashing and smashing. Knowing Lindsay's usually quiet floor, he knew it couldn't be a good sign. As he approached her door with quickening footsteps, he dug in his pocket for the key she had given him in case of emergencies and rammed it into the lock and twisted it quickly. He pushed the door open and sighed heavily as his eyes fell on the chaos.

In front of his eyes wasn't the usually placid and reserved Lindsay but rather a destructive and spiralling Lindsay. He could hear her sobs and watched as she pulled the books from her bookshelf, throwing them to the floor in a fit of rage. Deciding he'd seen enough, he kicked the door shut behind him and jogged to her, avoiding the masses of mess around them. Just as she was about to launch the remote control for the television at the wall, he gently placed his hands over her's and slowly took it from her and dropped it to the couch before wrapping his arms around her tightly.

Instinctively she fought him and he was taken aback slightly at her strength; she was doing a good job of pushing him away both figuratively and physically. Fortunately he was just that little bit stronger and held on a little tighter. He held her to his chest, shushing her sobs every now and then as he stroked his hand through her hair and pressed random kisses to her temple. He could feel her thumping her fist caught between their bodies against his chest, but he ignored it as the thumps were being applied with less and less force until eventually she stood still in his arms. He could hear her panting heavily and hiccupping as she cried her tears. He was utterly clueless as to what had triggered her angry outburst, but he figured he arrived just in time because she had obviously needed someone to hold her.

"It's okay," he whispered, as he slowly led her to the couch. "You're alright," He sat down on the dislodged cushion and led her so that she sat on his lap. She placed her feet on the upturned cushion as she settled on his lap and nuzzled her head into the crook of his neck as he held her in his arms.

"It isn't," she finally whispered after a few moments of her only releasing sobs and whimpers. "It isn't okay; I don't know why he did it."

"You don't always get to know why, Montana… you did good though. You did your job; we got him."

"That isn't good enough for me," she whimpered. "I need to know why."

"It won't be what you want to hear though, Montana. I honestly don't think he has a reason for it. There's no rhyme or reason to what he did… he just did it."

"I don't understand why."

"You never will," he said softly. "Because you're not him, Montana. Only he knows, if he even knows. I honestly don't think he does, sweetheart."

"There has to be a reason." Lindsay implored.

"Not always." Danny reasoned. "Sometimes bad things happen to good people and we don't get to know why."

"Mac said that earlier," she whispered. "That doesn't work for me. I don't understand why Danny, why?"

"Because bad people get what's comin' eventually. Everythin' happens for a reason and everything has a price. You do somethin' bad; it'll catch up to you and you'll pay for it... It might take twenty years for it to catch up to you, but it will eventually, and when it does, you'll pay big time. James Vackner will get his, Linds, don't worry."

_It might take twenty years for it to catch up to you but it will eventually, and when it does, you'll pay big time. _Danny's words rang in Lindsay's ears; suddenly the face of James Vackner morphed into that of the nameless stranger that had haunted her dreams for so many years. It was beginning to make sense. Sure she was angry at James Vackner for what he did to Sarah Butler, but not as angry as she was making out that she was… really, she was angry with her own James Vackner, desperate for him to pay for what he did.

"Everything will be okay. You know that right?"

As she felt the anger and pain deflate, Danny wrapped his arms around her tightly as she laid her head on his shoulder. Hopefully, Danny was right, when her nameless stranger found that his past had caught up with him, she hoped he paid big time… and if she had anything to do with it, he most definitely would.

It hurt, but deep down she knew she had to accept the unknown and trust her instincts. She hoped that truth would prevail. She hoped that justice would be seen. She'd maybe get her answers one day. For now, she was going to let Danny convince her things would be ok. She trusted him. And maybe one day, she thought, she'd tell him everything. Maybe. Maybe she didn't have her answers, but as she felt Danny's grip tighten on her, she realised that maybe, just maybe, things would be okay.

"Listen, you stay here. Let me make you somethin' to eat." Danny said, breaking her from her thoughts. "You haven't eaten in god only knows how long."

She opened her mouth to protest but promptly closed it again. Resistance was futile. "That would be great, thanks."

Danny smiled and nodded as he stood from the couch. "And maybe after, we can put this Humpty Dumpty apartment back together again." He said as he looked at the chaos that surrounded them."Jesus Montana, you're a damn whirlwind. Remind me not to piss you off!"

"Yeah, yeah. Ha-ha." She rolled her eyes. "Listen, is it ok if I make a phone call, I'll join you in a minute."

"Sure." Danny said, "you don't gotta worry about me, you do what you need to."

"Thanks." She smiled. He disappeared into her kitchen and she heard him opening the fridge and random cabinets, familiarising himself with her kitchen.

She reached down onto the floor and picked up her cell phone. She took a deep breath as she dialled the number she'd dialled for her entire life. She held the phone to her ear and waited with baited breath.

"Hello?"

At the sound of his voice, Lindsay felt the tears rise in her eyes. Perfect.

"Daddy; it's me. I don't want you to hang up. Don't pass me onto mom. I need to talk to you."

Silence.

"Dad I'm sorry, I'm sorry you don't like what I do and I'm sorry it upsets you but I have to do this. I have to make a difference, I have to help people, help victims. I have to make things better for other people. I want to see the things I see because it means I can make a difference. I know you wish you could protect me and I know you wish I had a safer job, but Daddy, you have to understand that this is what I want. This is what I need. When I came here, it wasn't because I was running away, I was doing what was right for me. I know it came from nowhere but it's something I'd thought about for a long time. Maybe I should have told you guys that. But I love you, I do. And I miss you. I'm not telling Mom to tell you I love you anymore." She finally took a breath. "Because I want to tell you myself."

She still heard silence on the other end, other than the occasional deep breath.

"I know you didn't mean what you said about me not coming home."

"I didn't." It was the first words he'd said to her in a long time. "That door is always open for you, kiddo. No matter what."

"I know." She said softly, thrilled he was beginning to speak to her. "I know you might not agree with my decisions and I know you don't support them; but I just wish you could find it in your heart to still be a little bit proud of me. Be happy for me maybe?"

"Don't you ever think I'm not proud of you Lindsay. I'm proud of you every moment of every day; even though I hate you do this to yourself. I might not be happy about it but I'm damn proud of you." He paused. "I love you honey; I do. I just think you're torturing yourself. How much do you need to see before you draw the line and say you've seen enough:"

"I don't know." Lindsay said honestly. "I don't know what the end point will be. But I promise you when I get to it, it'll be on my terms and what's right for me."

He sighed.

"Listen, I know this isn't easy for you. I know you want me home, but I had to do it: I had to. For them."

"I know you did."

Lindsay took a deep breath. "I love you."

"I love you too, sweetheart. Tough day?"

"You wouldn't believe it." She mused. "But I'm glad because it gave me the courage to call you."

"Doesn't help that we're both as stubborn as the other."

"It doesn't." She laughed finally.

"Are you okay? Do you want to talk about it?"

"Maybe another day, right now I just-."

"-hey, Montana... sorry to interrupt. Do you want a glass of wine with your dinner?"

Lindsay turned over her shoulder. She held the phone away from her face for a minute and smiled. "I'd love that: dinner smells great." She then turned her attention back to her phone call. "Sorry."

"Who was that?" Her dad asked, without missing a beat.

"Danny." Lindsay said softly.

"Who the hell is Danny?"

Lindsay opened her mouth. Who was Danny? _What _was Danny to her? She hadn't ever put a label on him. Was he her friend? Her partner? More? She wasn't sure.

"He's... he's uh... I guess he's my."

"Boyfriend."

"Daddy!" Lindsay implored. "For goodness sake. No! He's my friend; we work together."

"_Friend_." Robert Monroe's voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Sure. _Friend_. Alright, so why's he making you dinner and pouring you a glass of wine?" His voice was teasing her and she couldn't help but smile. "Actually, I'm sure you're right, that sounds very _friendly_ to me."

"Alright Columbo. Friends can eat dinner together."

"I'm not so sure about this." Robert teased. "Does your mother know about him?"

"I've mentioned him."

"Hmm." Lindsay knew her father was shooting a _did you know about this _lookat her mother.

"Listen, let me call you tomorrow, okay?" She said softly. "We can catch up, talk properly?"

"Sounds perfect." Robert said, "hey Linds, listen before you get off here. I love you and I'm sorry. You know you always can come home, don't you."

"I do."

"And honey; I am proud of you. Don't forget that okay?"

"I won't. Tell mommy I love her."

"I will. Bye honey."

"Bye."

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Danny tried his best not to eavesdrop but it was difficult in Lindsay's tiny apartment. He had no idea the crap she'd been going through with her dad. He also understood now why she'd struggled so much after meeting Sarah's dad. It wasn't the case, it was her personal connection. And Danny knew a hell of a lot about that: the job really tugged at your heartstrings from time to time.

He heard his name and he stopped what he was doing. She was talking about him? A smirk stretched across his face. He obviously couldn't hear the other end of the conversation but has a good feeling based on Lindsay's reaction that he'd just been labelled as her boyfriend. He heard her correct his label back to being a friend and he figured she was probably right; there wasn't really a word to describe them. What even were they? Friends? Coworkers? Sure they flirted, teased each other, probably spent more time together outside of work than normal... but they clicked. Both of them wanted to spend that time with one another so why the hell not.

He heard her footsteps padding towards him and he turned round to look at her. He was pleased to see a smile fixed on her face. A genuine smile. He watched her eyes glance over the mess he'd made and he smirked at her. "Don't worry I'll clean it."

"No, no, it's fine!" She laughed. "You cooked, I'll clean." She rolled the sleeves of her cardigan up and began filling the sink with soapy water. She silently collected the pans and dishes and chopping boards he'd used and piled up them near the sink.

As the sink filled, she settled beside him and stood as close as humanely possible. "Smells good."

"I didn't have much to work with." He teased. "So I figured we could have something super original."

"Spaghetti." Lindsay smirked. "An Italian making spaghetti. So original."

"Shut up, smartass." He scoffed. He glanced down to her and watched as her head settled against his arm. He let go of the spoon he'd been mixing the marinara sauce with and wrapped his arm around her. "Hey, you ok?"

"I'm ok." She nodded: "better now. Listen; I don't know how you knew but thanks for coming to save me from myself tonight." She said softly. "I guess I really needed you here."

"Nah; you just needed someone."

"No, I needed you." She turned to look at him.

"What are _friends_ for, huh?" He smiled as he swiped a strand of her hair from her face. She licked her lips as she held his gaze. He could almost feel her closing the distance between them but just as she began to make her way to his lips with hers, the water in the sink began to overflow onto the floor.

"Crap!" Lindsay implored as she shut the tap off. She grabbed the dish towel on the counter and began catching the water as it spilled over the edge. She removed the plug and let the water drain a little as she mopped up the excess water on the floor.

Danny grabbed the dish towel he'd been using and dropped to his knees next to her; helping her to wipe up the water. "There we go. We got it." He said as he dried the floor.

"What an idiot." She rolled her eyes as she tossed the soaked towel on the floor.

"Hey, doesn't matter:" he smiled. "Don't be so hard on yourself, huh." He then stood and turned his attention back to the spaghetti.

She stood and put the plug back into the sink; watching it carefully as she refilled it with some more water. She began cleaning the pans and utensils Danny had used as he resumed cooking their dinner. Occasionally, she'd glance over her shoulder and catch him looking at her.

She wasn't sure what they were doing. She wasn't sure what they were. But whatever it was? She was happy. And maybe, when Danny had said that things would be okay, he was right.

Everything was beginning to feel better. Everything was starting to feel right. And that, was something that Lindsay could get on board with.

"Hey Linds, listen... if you need me. For anything... you know I'm here for you, right? You don't gotta suffer alone."

"I know." She said, avoiding his eyes, scared he could read her mind.

"You're my partner. I gotta make sure you're doin' okay."

"I'm doing just fine now." He voice was soft. "I'm doing okay." And she was... thanks to him and his instincts. She was better than okay.

She was good.

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**There we go! Hope you enjoyed this one! Any thoughts would be appreciated, as ever! Thanks for reading! **


	2. 2

**A/N: hi! So apparently this wasn't the one shot I thought it would be. I don't know how or where this came from but apparently Fred had more things to say about Stealing Home. It turned into something mammoth but I so, so enjoyed playing with this version of DL so hope you enjoy this too! Also. If anyone is still interested, I have a couple more season 2/early season 3 stories in the pipeline! **

**And so, without any further ramblings, thanks for clicking on this update and i hope you enjoy it! **

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"So are you close with your mom?"

Shifting in her position, she curled her legs underneath her on the couch. Cradling her glass of wine in her hands, she couldn't help the smile on her face as she thought of her mom. "Yeah, I mean I wish she was closer but I talk on the phone with her a lot."

"Have you always been close?"

"Closer now I'm older." Lindsay explained. "We both struggled when I was younger."

"And your dad?"

She looked at him and pursed her lips. It wasn't _what_ he'd said, but the way he'd said it. "So you _were_ eavesdropping?" She teased.

"It's not as if you live in a mansion, Montana." He pointed out. "Sounded like you were dealin' with some heavy stuff earlier. Wanna talk about it?"

_Yes_. "No, no it's fine." She lied, raising her glass to her lips. "It was just a conversation that had been long overdue. We're both pretty stubborn and we both said things in the past we didn't mean and let it get worse and worse. The last couple of days our things into perspective." Lindsay said softly.

Danny knew that the conversation Lindsay had shared with Sarah Butler's dad had really affected her. He'd been able to see it when she'd told him what had happened back in the lab. He just hadn't realised just how close to home it had touched her. "I hear you on that one." He sighed, knocking back the remaining wine in his own glass.

Her eyes watched him as he stared into the bottom of his glass for a moment. She had a feeling he was talking about his brother. As far as she knew there hadn't been any significant changes to his condition, but then again, she hadn't asked. It had never felt right. Almost too much of a personal intrusion. Sensing tonight wasn't the right time either, she suppressed her questions, logging them for another time.

Dinner had been nice. Really nice in fact. It made a nice change from eating alone. They'd eaten and talked, sitting on the floor by her coffee table. Added to the fact that Danny could make sensational spaghetti, she was feeling infinitely better to what she had been hours ago.

Plus, the three glasses of wine she'd had were helping.

"How's your girlfriend?" She wasn't sure if it was the wine giving her a little bit of courage but she was definitely intrigued to know the answer.

"Who, Cindy?"

"Yes Cindy!" Lindsay laughed. "Your girlfriend… how many do you have?"

"None."

"What?"

"We broke up." He said, rubbing the side of his neck.

"Oh Danny, I'm sorry to hear that."

"No you're not," he smirked.

"No I am!" She insisted. It wasn't that she wanted to date him necessarily. It wasn't even as if she was jealous. His relationships and his dating life really had nothing to do with her…. but if she was selfish, him not having a girlfriend made this easier for them.

Whatever _they_ were…

"What happened?" Lindsay asked, sipping her wine.

"A plethora of stuff I guess." Danny shrugged. "I never returned her calls… didn't have much time to go out…"

Lindsay furrowed her brow. _Didn't have time to go out but had time for dinner and wine with a coworker…_

"Plus she and I were very different." He continued. "Not much in common."

"Ahh." Lindsay nodded, deciding against pointing out that he'd managed to find time to spend with her after being at work with her all day... "Where did you even meet?"

"The subway." He began.

"Nice:" Lindsay smirked. "You pick up all your girlfriends on the subway, Messer?"

"Laugh it up, Montana." He rolled his eyes. "Doing what we do, it's hard to meet people. I do what I can."

She raised her eyebrows in amusement and offered a smile in his direction. "Apparently so, I mean seriously though... the subway? Jesus Danny..."

"So you got anyone on the scene?" Danny asked, changing the topic away from himself.

"Who me?" Lindsay laughed. "Oh sure, can't you hear them all trying to beat down my door? Tonight's my night off. I've got three dates tomorrow and two on Friday. It's like a ticketing system… it's working well for me."

"You could have just said no, Montana. No would have been a perfectly acceptable answer..." Danny rolled his eyes. "So you haven't met anyone since you moved here? I find that hard to believe."

"What's so hard to believe about that?"

"Have you checked a mirror lately?" Danny implored. "You're gorgeous, Montana."

She blushed. "I think it's time for a new prescription for your glasses."

"Don't give me that." He barked. "You are beautiful and there ain't no way you haven't been on any dates."

"I just haven't met the right person yet:" she shrugged. "It's hard to find someone you connect with. Someone that clicks... someone you want to spend time with. I don't have much free time as it is… the last thing I want is to waste it with someone I don't absolutely adore."

"So instead you waste your time with me?"

"i never said I was wasting my time with you, did I?" She teased, hiding her smile behind her wine glass.

He pursed his lips together and nodded at her. "Alright, I hear ya, Montana. Loud and clear.."

"Listen, Danny... Thanks for comin' to save me from myself tonight." She said. "I uh, I really needed a friend."

"After what you've done for me?" He paused, "there wasn't any way I wasn't gonna be here for you, kiddo."

She smiled at him. "Can I get you anything else? Another glass of wine? Beer?"

He shook his head, aware that she had changed their topic of conversation. "Nah, I'm fine." He shifted in his position before standing from the couch. "Come on, let's stop putting it off."

"Putting what off?" She quizzed.

"Putting your place back together. I don't know if you've noticed but it's a mess…"

"No. No. Leave it. I'll deal with all of this in the morning."

"Between the two of us it won't take long." He said. "It'll be weird doing it the other way round."

"What do you mean?" She laughed as he offered her his hand and pulled her off the couch.

"Well usually we're turning places upside down looking for evidence… but seen as you already did that, I guess we can tidy it all up for a change."

She smiled as she heard the CD in her CD player switch to a new disc. The sounds of Whitesnake filled her apartment. She placed her empty wine glass down on the coffee table and caught his eyes.

"What?" She laughed at the goofy look on his face. "What now!"

"Didn't take you for a Whitesnake kinda girl." Danny nodded in approval. "I just keep learning new things about you all the time, huh?"

"You've got lots to learn about me yet, Messer."

"Apparently so." He said as he made his way to her bookshelf. As the soft sounds of _Is this love_ filled her apartment he heard her humming along as she busied herself collecting the things on the floor. He watched her for a moment before bending down and collecting the books she'd tore off the shelf.

His eyes fell on a picture frame just by the side of the bookshelf on the floor. He reached down to pick it up and held it for a minute. There were four girls in it… one strongly resembling Lindsay. He narrowed his eyes and smiled at the picture. The girl at the top _definitely_ had to be Lindsay. He didn't know she had sisters… but then, they looked nothing like each other. Cousins maybe? Or friends?

"This you?" He asked, holding the frame in his hand and pointing at thr girl he suspected to be a much younger version of Lindsay.

"Yeah." She said softly. "I was about fourteen in that picture."

"You were cute." He smiled, taking in the image of a younger Lindsay again. He ran his finger over her face and chuckled. He hadn't expected her to look like she did, but then, once he'd seen the picture of her he realised that actually, she was everything he'd probably imagined her to be. "Who are they? Your sisters?"

"Friends." She said. He played it in his head again, the way that she'd said _friends_ didn't sound right. When he turned to look at her again, she'd busied herself on the floor with her back to him, avoiding his eyes. Deciding not to push any further, but logging it for another time, he placed the picture on the shelf again.

They worked in silence and eventually her apartment was looking slightly less chaotic.

"Thanks for your help," she said as she collapsed back onto the couch. "Don't know what I would have done without you tonight."

"Montana, I already told you… after what you've done for me recently it's honestly the least I could have done."

She smiled shyly and accepted what he said without arguing. He watched her as she settled with her legs tucked underneath her on the couch. He really hoped she knew just how much he appreciated her and the lengths she had gone for him. He'd been in a hell of a lot of trouble and she'd somehow managed to save his ass. She'd then proceeded to pick up the pieces for him - so it seemed only right that he did the same for her.

He sighed heavily and glanced down at his watch. He knew time was pressing on and he didn't want to overstay his welcome…. but he didn't want to leave either. A part of him enjoyed being with her sure, but the other part of him didn't want to leave her alone.

"I kinda wish there was somethin' more I could help with… you got any DIY that needs doin'? I know my way around a drill and I'm not bad with a screwdriver either."

"I'll bet." She licked her lips and winked at him.

"What you mean by that, Montana?!"

She burst onto a fit of giggles. "You know your way around a drill… a screwdriver? Could you think of anymore tool themed innuendos? Hang on, let me guess, you're good at nailing things?"

"And there was me tryin' to think of ways to help you… tryin' to be a good friend and all I get is sass." He scoffed playfully. "Why the hell do I bother?"

"Because you care?" she said softly, her previous playful nature subsiding. "Or maybe because you're a sweetheart? Or could it be that you just like spending time with me?"

"Yes to all." He smiled. "I mean it though, if there's anythin' I can do, let me know… it must be hard bein' away from your family and friends back home."

"It is." She said softly as she moved her hand to his, where it was resting on the couch. She hesitated for a moment before she laid her hand on his. "but I'm lucky and have some pretty amazing friends here too. Friends I really care about. Friends that I really like spending time with."

"Good." Danny nodded, edging towards her slightly. "That's good."

"Yeah." She whispered, closing the distance between them. She was that close she could feel his breath on her lips "I mean… there's this one guy… I could really find myself-"

The shrill sound of her buzzer sounded, making the both of them jump.

"Crap." Lindsay cried, holding a hand to her chest. She stood from the couch and made her way to the intercom. "Hello?"

"Lindsay, it's Mac."

Lindaay turned back towards Danny with wide eyes. She turned back to the intercom and pressed the button down. "Mac?" She tried to steady her voice. "Hey… hi… is everything okay?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing."

"Yeah:" she nodded, despite him not being able to see her. "Yeah, I'm fine… do you… want to come up?"

"No, no, thank you." His voice sounded. "I just… i was passing by on the way to a scene down the street and I figured I'd just check in and see how you were holding up"

"I'm okay, Mac. Thanks for thinking of me. Listen, do you need any help with the scene?" Lindsay asked: "I've had a couple of glasses of wine but-"

"No, no… Stella is on her way." Mac said. "As I said, I was just checking. Although I might be back later for a witness statement:" he chuckled. "Have a good night Lindsay. Call me if you need anything."

"I will, thanks Mac."

"Oh and Lindsay?"

"Yeah?" She pressed the button down again.

"Tell Danny I said hello."

Staring at the intercom she swallowed the lump in her throat. She turned to Danny and was pleased to see a similar look of horror plastered over his face.

"How?" She laughed, turning towards him and moving away from the intercom. "how the hell did he know?"

"'Cause he's Mac Taylor and I've given up tryin' to work out how the hell he does that."

Laughing as she crossed the room again, she settled on the couch. "Listen… it's late and you've been drinking. You don't have to but… you're more than welcome to stay." Lindsay said.

"I might crash on the couch." Danny said. "That ok?"

"Sure." She smiled. "Let me go get some stuff."

Danny watched as she stood and disappeared to her bedroom. He closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. He'd been so close to kissing her then and while he desperately wanted to kiss her he knew tonight wasn't appropriate. She'd been so upset earlier and he didn't want… well, he just wanted… he ran his hand down his face. He didn't know what he wanted.

Other than Lindsay. He knew he wanted her.

"I've got you some blankets and pillows." Her voice broke his thoughts. "I wasn't sure if you might wanna get changed so I dug this out." She dropped the blankets and pillows to the couch and held up a sweatshirt. "It's the biggest thing I have."

He took it from her and examined it. "Cute." He smirked.

"Shut up." She rolled her eyes before picking a pillow up and whacking him with it. "It's the best I have."

He threw the Montana State university sweatshirt back at her and shook his head. "I'll be ok." He said as he tugged his shirt over his head: revealing the white wifebeater he was wearing underneath. "I'll be alright."

Lindsay nodded and licked her lips.

"You done?" He smirked as he tossed his shirt over the arm of the couch. "Or shall I pose so you can take a picture?"

"That would be great, thanks." She teased. "i didn't realise I was gettin' dinner and a show."

"Well, what can I say? You get the full package."

"Why did I say you could stay over again?" She laughed. "I'm not sure I love your sass."

"That's rich comin' from you." He bantered as he laid a blanket on the couch. "I'm pretty sure your middle name is sass."

"Alright, cowboy. Pipe down." She watched as he arranged his pillows on the couch. "Are you sure you'll be ok? I mean… I'm sure my bed is big enough."

"Nah, I'll be absolutely fine here." Danny said. "I'm used to crashin' on Flack's couch. Don't worry about me Montana."

"Can I get you anything else?"

"Nope." He shook his head. "I'm all set."

She nodded. "I uh, I guess… goodnight, Danny."

"G'night Linds."

She turned away from him and he watched as she stopped. She spun back round and closed the distance between them. She placed her hand on his chest and stood up on her tiptoes, allowing her the height she needed to press a kiss to his cheek. Her lips lingered for a moment before she pulled away. He could feel his skin tingling in the absence of her lips.

"You made what started out to be an awful night something special." She said softly. "I really can't tell you how much it means that you were here tonight, Danny."

"Hey… listen. I'm here for you, k? Whatever you need."

She smiled and squeezed his arm.

He settled on the couch and shifted to get comfortable.

"Do you want the light on or off?" Her voice asked from the other side of the room.

"Off is fine, thanks." He said. "Night Linds."

He closed his eyes as she turned the light off and he let out a breath. He listened to her bedroom door click shut and he shifted on his makeshift bed.

He'd almost kissed Lindsay tonight… twice. He could feel something bubbling between them. They had chemistry, there was absolutely no denying that.There was fire between them. Something was going to happen eventually. He knew it. He felt it. But tonight? He'd felt something else… he'd seen into Lindsay's life more so than he ever had before. Between overhearing the conversation she'd had with her dad, seeing her cry and drinking probably far too much wine, he realised just how much she'd let him in tonight - something she had never done before.

He yawned and let his eyes shut. He hadn't enjoyed seeing Lindsay so distraught earlier but he'd been glad he could be the one to pick up the pieces. He was glad she'd let him in and let him be there for her.

The thing was he did care about her. He cared about her a lot. He wanted to be there for her, fix things for her, wipe her tears for her. Things he'd never wanted to do for anyone before.

He knew he was in way over his head with her. But if he was completely honest? He didn't mind it one bit.

Lindaay Monroe was worth it all.


	3. 3

**A/N: I think this is the last chapter for this story... considering it was supposed to be a one shot. Although; it's hardly surprising considering one shots turning into epics is the norm around here in Laurzz-land! **

**I've really, really enjoyed writing this and exploring baby DL! Thanks to those of you who've tuned in and read each update too! Hope you guys have enjoyed it! We will probably venture back to the Messer family land soon as I have been missing them whilst I've been playing in Baby DL land! **

**Anyway; enough of my ramblings! Hope you enjoy this one! **

* * *

She peeled one eye open and promptly closed it again. Her head was banging. Why was her head banging? Wasn't it like… Thursday morning?

She rolled onto her stomach and felt around for her other pillows. She peeled her eye open again. _Where the hell were her pillows?_ She opened her other eye and sat up slightly, which she instantly realised was a bad idea based on the drumming going on in her head.

She could hear movement in her apartment and she began to desperately try to piece together last night's events.

Crying. Sarah Butler. James Vackner. Her dad. Danny. Wine.

_Danny_.

She was proud of herself that she'd woken up alone because Danny and wine? She knew those two things mixed together would not end with the best decisions being made on her part.

But clearly last night she had some sort of sense about her. She hadn't felt that tipsy but clearly it had gone straight to her head. The more she thought about it; the clearer everything was becoming.

She leaned over to her bedside table and reached for her glass of water, downing a good proportion of the water, she sat back against her headboard.

Last night had been a lot of things. Intense, emotional, wonderful. She wasn't sure she'd be able to express to Danny just how thankful she was that he'd turned up. She hadn't realised it but she definitely needed him:

Although it had taken a while for her to realise due to the incessant teasing, she now knew that he liked her - just as much as she liked him. But last night he'd been… she didn't know what the word was. She'd seen a different side to him last night. Flirty? She wasn't sure if flirty was the right word. Their first exchange they'd ever had had been them flirting… and if she was totally honest, so had every other conversation they'd had since then. No, flirty definitely wasn't the right word.

Actively interested? Maybe that was right? She wasn't entirely sure. What she did know was that Danny Messer was recently single and that worked perfectly for her.

She swung her legs over her bed and padded out of her bedroom and into her living space. Her eyes darted around the bright room looking for him. She thought she had heard him but maybe he'd already taken off? A part of her couldn't help the disappointment already settling in but she understood.

"Boo!" His voice sounded behind her, his hands on her waist.

"Shit!" She cried, turning around in his arms. "Jesus, Danny! you scared the crap out of me! I didn't realise you'd still be here."

"Where else would I be?" He smiled at her. "Just needed to use the bathroom." He explained. "You got a lot of lotions and potions in there, Montana." He mused. "Ever heard of just a plain bar of soap? I couldn't work out what the hell to wash my hands with."

"Blame Bath and Body Works." She chuckled.

"I would if I knew what the hell that was." He smirked. "Coffee?"

"Shouldn't I be offering you that?" She laughed.

"Well I already made a pot… so you could but you'd be takin' credit for my hard work." He mused. "I've been snooping around in your cabinets again. I could make my famous Messer omelette?"

"I don't like omelettes." She shrugged. "What's else is on the menu?"

Danny twisted his lips together as he thought about it. "I could rustle up some pancakes maybe?"

"Now you're talking." She smiled. "Need any help?" She asked, moving towards her kitchen.

"No, but I'll gladly accept your company."

She smiled and nodded. He followed her into the kitchen and she took in the sights. She'd been preparing herself for the leftover dishes and plates from the night before except… everything was spotless."You tided up?"

"Yeah, I felt bad for using every single pan you owned last night so figured it was the least I could do."

"Hey, you did enough last night." She smiled. "Thanks again, by the way."

"Stop thankin' me." Danny rolled his eyes as he reached into the cabinet and pulled out the pancake mix she had in there. "It's gettin' old."

She sighed before pulling herself up onto the counter. She let her legs dangle and watched as he poured her a cup of coffee and handed it to her. She smiled in thanks as she held it gratefully in her hands. If she let herself think about it, it was almost like they were casually going about their morning routine as a couple. Everything felt so natural with him that if she let it, it could scare her a little.

Except, rather than it scaring her, it excited her.

"Did you sleep okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, it wasn't too bad." He said. "Think I'll take your offer of the bed next time though." He teased. "What about you?"

"Yeah." She smiled, "good thanks."

"So, what shift are you working today?"

"I told you last night." She sighed dramatically. "I'm not; I have three dates tonight… my ticketing system?"

"You know, if I didn't know you so well, I'd think you were tellin' the truth."

"How do you know I'm not?"

"Well first of all," he reached over and squeezed her cheeks with his hand. "I can tell by the goofy look on your face." He said, letting go of her. "And second. I know our shifts overlap today so…"

"So... why did you ask?" She laughed

"Lord knows… should have known I'd get sass."

She laughed as he put her griddle on the stovetop.

"I'm on an earlier shift." He began. "I might need to make tracks after breakfast. I gotta swing by my place first and get changed and stuff. I could catch you later for coffee though?"

"Yeah, I'd like that." She smiled. "That would be really nice."

He smiled and nodded, turning his attention to the pancakes he was making for them. Before she could get lost in her thoughts, her phone broke their comfortable silence. She pulled it out of her pyjama pants pocket and didn't even try to fight the smile on her face.

_Daddy_.

Debating answering it for a moment, she sighed and decided to ignore it. She'd apologise to him later but right now, she felt like she needed to be present in her current moment.

"You gonna get that?" He asked, glancing down at her cell phone, where it was still vibrating against the counter top.

"Nah… I'll... I'll call him back." It took a moment or two but eventually her phone stopped ringing. She reached for her coffee and smiled before the cell phone starting ringing again.

"I think that was the wrong answer." Danny laughed. "You better get that."

Rolling her eyes, Lindsay flipped open her phone and pressed the green button. Holding it to her ear she smiled down the phone, "Hey Dad."

"What? You're too good to answer the phone to your dad, huh?"

"Good morning to you too." She teased.

"How was your night?"

"Good," she smiled at Danny, "it was good."

"So tell me about this Danny…"

"And there was me thinking you'd drop it."

"Lindsay…" his voice warned her.

"He's a friend." Lindsay said quietly, turning away from Danny slightly. She didn't miss the goofy grin plastered all over his face.

"Yeah, I heard you try and tell me that last night… tell me more about him."

"Daddy." She sighed.

"What are you being like this for?" Her dad laughed, "wait…" the line went quiet for a moment. "He's still there, isn't he?"

Lindsay glanced over at Danny. He had his back to her and she smiled. "A little bit."

"Lindsay!" Her dad cried down the phone.

"Hey, hey, calm down everything is completely innocent. We just had dinner. He came by because I was upset. He slept on the couch. Don't worry."

"You made the poor guy sleep on the couch? What's wrong? He not your type or somethin'?"

"Daddy!" Lindsay cried, holding her hand to her face. "For goodness sake!"

"What? I'm just sayin'" her dad chuckled down the line. "He obviously likes you, honey."

"I'm not having this conversation."

"At all or just in front of him."

Lindsay glanced at Danny. "The second one."

"And what was that option?" Her father's voice teased her down the line.

"Bye Dad." She laughed. "I'll talk to you later, you big goofball."

"Okay honey. I'll speak to you later. Be good."

"I will." She smiled. "Tell mommy I love her."

"I will. Bye honey."

As the phone went dead, she snapped her phone shut and braced herself for his inevitable comments. She pursed her lips and shook her head at his grin. "Go on."

"What?" He laughed as he flipped a pancake. "Go on what?"

"I'm waiting." She laughed. "For the smartass comments… the teasing. Go ahead."

"Nah, I don't know what you're talking about." He shook his head.

"I don't believe that for a minute." She crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for Danny's comments. A few moments of silence passed before a grin tugged at his lips.

"Not your type then, huh?"

"I knew it:" she laughed. "Did I say that?"

"You didn't deny it." He teased. "I mean jeez Linds, I'm a big boy, I can take it."

"I obviously like you, smartass."

"You say that to all your boyfriends?"

"As a matter of fact, I do." She smirked before placing a hand on her shoulder. Trying to be a bit more serious, she squeezed him softly. "I hope you know how much I really like you, Danny."

"I do." He smiled, pressing a kiss to her hand. "Don't worry… and for the record, the feeling is mutual."

She smiled.

"Unless you get a better offer then… I take it back."

"You're such a pain in the ass," she implored, laughing at his antics.

"Yeah well, I do what I can." He smirked. "So you gonna call him back after I leave."

"I think so."

"Cool." He nodded. "You'll be able to talk about me then…"

She picked up the dish towel next to her on the counter and whacked him with it. "I swear to god!" She laughed. "Can I take it back?"

"If you want to." He said. He moved towards her and stood inbetween her legs, his face was inches from hers and she could feel his warm breath on her lips. "But I don't think you wanna do that."

"Nope." She just about managed a whisper. She let out a nervous breath; he was in perfect distance to her. She could quite easily kiss him. They were in a perfect position, a perfect spot. Deciding she was going to bite the bullet, she closed her eyes.

Just as she was about to make contact with his lips, the shrill blast of her fire alarm sounded. They tore away from each other and turned their eyes to the stove. The long forgotten pancakes had burnt to a crisp and the pan was smoking considerably.

"You've gotta be jokin'!" Danny cried as he grabbed the pan and turned the faucet on; he shoved the pan underneath the water. As he did that, Lindsay wafted a dishtowel underneath her smoke detector in a feeble attempt to get it to quieten down.

"The pan's ruined... as is breakfast." Danny announced once the smoke alarm had finally been silenced. "Sorry Montana:"

"Don't worry about it," she shrugged. "Gives me an excuse to get a new one."

"Listen, as much as I'd like to stay, hang out and attempt to have another go at making pancakes… I probably better get goin'."

"No, no, of course." She said, leading the way from her kitchen and making her way over to her front door. He followed her and shoved his feet into his converse and laced them up quickly.

"Hey, I had a good time last night." He smiled."Thanks for lettin' me stay."

"Thanks for staying… and making dinner… and coffee… and attempting to make breakfast, even though it was a failure." she smiled as she opened the door and let it take most of her weight as she leant on it. He moved past her into the hallway. "And thanks for being you. You have no idea how much I needed you last night."

"I do what I can." He said, closing the distance between them. She closed her eyes and he pressed a kiss to her forehead, letting his lips linger there for a moment longer than what would probably be considered normal. As he pulled away, she kept her eyes closed but a smile stretched across her face. Her eyes opened and he had a grin matching hers.

"Bye Linds." He said softly.

"Bye." She whispered as she closed the door behind him. As she clicked it shut, she leant against the door and sighed heavily.

She knew she was in way over her head with him. She couldn't shake the smile tugging at her lips. What had been an awful, terrible evening last night had ended up being actually quite special and it was down to him.

She knew he was a risk. A massive risk. He was her friend, her partner, her work colleague! But he did things to her that she hadn't ever felt before. He made her happy. He challenged her, defended her, protected her. He made her laugh. He made her feel like New York was home.

She knew that if she let herself; she could be really happy. Happier than she had been in a hell ot a long time. Longer than she could remember.

It was a risk. But if she was completely honest? She didn't mind it one bit.

Danny Messer was worth it all.

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**As always, any thoughts are gratefully appreciated and very much loved! ****Thanks again for reading! Hope to see you again for my next post! **


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